Growing up my mother believed that pink dresses were going to be a staple in my baby wardrobe. Boy, was she wrong. As the years went by I came in contact with this thing called “comfort”, which then became what was going to define my style. I hated dresses, heels, or anything that society threw at me to try and define my gender.
I do identify myself as female, but my that doesn’t mean my closet has to have a gender. Feminine attire mixed with stud-like apparel makes up my closet. To make this simple, I see clothes as materials that I drape on myself that make me who I am.
Most of my shopping is done at thrift stores, if not that, you’ll find me searching through the endless online sale sections. When I look for clothes, whether it’d be male or female, I pick what I think will pair right with something else. Whenever I’m in the men’s section, I usually get asked if I’m shopping for my boyfriend and I respond with, “No I’m shopping for myself.” They usually say things along the lines of “That’s cool!” or “You have great taste in fashion.”
What would it be like if things were switched? What if I was a male and found myself in the women’s section? What kind of responses would I get? I’m more than positive that most people wouldn’t respond to me with the same kindness. So why does gender have to play such a big role in clothes? Yes, we wear it, but does it have to define us?
I took it upon myself to search through the piles of clothes that I own and decided to style two volunteers that let me do so. My point here is to show you that any gender is capable of wearing whatever they want. Someone who identifies as a man can wear a complete female inspired outfit, and vice versa, as I have done so with these looks. My male model is wearing only female clothing and my female model is wearing male inspired clothes.
Although stores are lacking a great diversity, from what I’ve seen, I want to ensure you that it is possible to create such looks. Through the looks that you’re about to see, the models are wearing clothes that belong and have been styled completely by me.
Enjoy!
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In the first look, 22-year-old Aliguas Paningbatan is wearing an oversized jersey from Urban Outfitters. It’s paired with an oversized male inspired denim jacket from Forever 21. Accessories include a pair of black Yeezy sneakers from Adidas and a mustard yellow beanie from Forever 21. Wearing oversized shirts as dresses is a key to expanding your wardrobe.
The second look dives into a fall look with warm tone colors, such as green and brown. She’s wearing a patterned, forest-green top from Urban Outfitters. The camo-green army jacket was thrifted, and so are the jeans that I cut up myself. A nice pair of comfy black-and-white vans with a forest-green beanie from Forever 21 ties the outfit together. A tip I like to give when wearing men’s button-ups is buttoning them down halfway and then tying the other half into a knot to create a cute crop top.
My last look is serving west coast vibes to the max. She is wearing a pair of black sweatpants from ASOS, matched with a white cropped top that shows just the right amount of skin. Paired again with a black-and-white pair of vans, long white socks, and green beanie to finish the look. I love creating a laid-back look that you can also wear if leaving the house.
When 24-year-old Jonathan Marquez volunteered to let me dress him, I couldn’t have had been more excited. I had to find outfits in my closet that would tailor his body, and at the same time, make him look damn good.
In the first outfit, I styled him in a black velvet button-up that my mother passed down to me, paired with a multi-colored bomber jacket from H&M. A sleek pair of ripped black jeans, and a pair of combat boots from Charlotte Russe bring the outfit together. For accessories, I had him throw on a black boater hat from H&M and a copper-coined necklace to add a bit of flavor in the mix. All-black outfits are my favorite and they make it easy to bring to life with either bright jacket or vintage jewelry.
In his second look, I put together a pair of thrifted black chino shorts with a floral peplum collared shirt from Forever 21. A thrifted leather jacket and a black beret with tall green socks make the look edgy and inviting. A pair of high-waist shorts are my go to especially when pairing them with a bold shirt.
In his final look, I went with sizzling colors that made the look rich and perfect for the fall. A burnt orange off-the-shoulder shirt from Urban Outfitters layered with a paisley patterned jacket from Topman go hand-in-hand. Coral skinny jeans, tan slip on booties, and vintage sunglasses from Amazon make this a head-turning look that screams comfort. When choosing a color for an outfit, it’s best to start with a colored shirt and add on clothes that fall along the lines of that pigment. If you want to wear one color all over your outfit without drowning in it, it’s best to have a solid item to begin with and then add prints on top.
